COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus softball team earned a doubleheader sweep over Elizabethtown in their 2022 home opener on Wednesday afternoon at Snell Softball Field in non-conference action. The Bears rallied to win game one 5-3 before recording a 13-0 victory in five innings in game two.
With the wins, the Bears improved to 11-6 overall as they continued their strong start to the week after winning a pair of games at Immaculata yesterday. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays of the Landmark Conference fell to 8-12 overall.
GAME ONE
After a scoreless top of the first, senior Mackenzie Brennan led off the inning with a triple to left field and came around to score after classmate Ally St. Jean grounded out to first. The Blue Jays responded in the top of the second as they took a 2-1 lead on a two-out two-run single after advancing runners to second and third base. Brennan got the Bears started in the bottom of the third by legging out a double and stole third two at-bats later. Sophomore Sam Williams then snuck a single through the left side to tie the game at two. Elizabethtown took the lead back at 3-2 in the top of the fifth off a sharp two-out single up the middle, but the Bears were able to escape further damage after an error loaded the bases.
The Bears rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth and went up 5-3, their first lead since the bottom of the first inning. Junior Amanda Panati began the rally with a one-out single and advanced to second on an error. A bunt single from first-year Samantha Mallen loaded the bases and senior Julia Eckels tied the game in the next at-bat after her hit ricocheted off the Blue Jays pitcher. Brennan gave the Bears the lead for good by poking a single through the right side to score two runs. Elizabethtown put runners on first and second with one out, but Bears junior pitcher Alexis Miller induced a 5-3 GIDP that started with Williams getting the lead runner out by tagging third base.
GAME TWO
The Blue Jays put runners on second and third base with one out in the top of the first before first-year pitcher Stephanie Wichman escaped the jam by forcing back-to-back outs. Brennan led off the bottom of the first by tripling to left field for the second-straight game and came around to score in the next at-bat off a single from sophomore Madison Wilson. Ursinus left the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the first but added to their lead in the bottom of the second after Eckels scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0. The Bears broke the game open in the bottom of the third by scoring eight runs on seven hits and one error. First-year Rachel Hartman led the inning off with a double to left center and advanced to third after Panati singled. First-year Jessica Fusco drove in Hartman with a single down the right field line and Mallen followed by drawing a walk to load the bases. Eckels kept the rally going with a single to score Panati and Brennan kept her big game going by driving in two more runs on a single, bringing the score to 6-0. Williams drove in a pair of runs off a single after a hit by pitch loaded the bases to make it an 8-0 game before an error plus a passed ball capped the Bears inning.
Ursinus loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fourth inning and added to their lead when Wilson dropped a single into left field to make it 11-0. The Bears brought in another run after Wichman hit into a fielder's choice and sophomore Sarah DiLello drove in the final run for Ursinus with a single after pinch hitting. Wichman concluded the game in the top of the fifth by retiring the Blue Jays in order to put the finishing touches on her shutout.
Brennan paced the Bears offense by going a combined 5-of-7 between the two games and drove in four runs while scoring five. Brennan fell a home run short of the cycle in game one and stole two bases as well. Eckels went a combined 4-of-6 from the plate between the games while scoring three runs and driving in two. Williams went 4-of-6 from the dish as well in addition to driving in three runs and Wilson went 2-of-2 with two RBI's in game two. Miller and Wichman each pitched complete games for the Bears in the doubleheader Miller earned the win in game one after allowing three earned runs on seven hits and struck out two batters with three walks in seven innings. Wichman earned a shutout after allowing just four hits and struck out four batters with two walks in five innings.
The Bears return to action on Saturday, April 2nd as they will open Centennial Conference play by hosting Gettysburg for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.